Darkwood Crossing

A troubled border town

Snapdragon

Description:

A dashing silver-haired pixie warrior whose wings resemble those of an Ulysses butterfly. His ice blue eyes either sparkle with mirth or glitter with rage, depending on his mood. His black beetle-hide armor is etched with intricate snowflakes.

Bio:

As the grandson of Princess Hellebore of the Pixies of the Autumn Wind, Snapdragon has always had a lot to live up to. His parents Candytuft and Mapleleaf were killed in the recent Fomorian War, and so it fell to the Princess herself to raise him. Known as the Little Duke, he has called the city of Mithrendain home for a half century, playing and pranking within the walls of the City of Autumn, beloved by many of the residents and at least tolerated by the rest.

When he came of age, Snapdragon knew precisely the path he wished to follow, joining the ranks of the Knights of the Winter Fey in the Court of Stars. Through the fey magic, he made fey-pact with his grandmother Hellebore, and through her their goddess Sehanine Moonbow. And so he emerged a Hexblade with the powers of frost, taking his place as part of Princess Hellebore’s Elite Guard.

At first it all came so easily to him- his skills and powers were a cut above the other knights and he reveled in his superiority. Then one day, it all seemed to change. The other knights started to surpass him with regularity in training, and the other pixies began to choose him last when dividing teams for their games. No matter how he strove, he could never seem to close the gap between him and the others.

Little did he know it was Hellebore herself who had seen his increasing laxness and arrogance, and decided to play a prank on him. She limited his powers through their bond and convinced the other knights to play along. Thus, through constant trickery and deceit, they were able to maintain the charade, though Snapdragon very nearly defeated their combined efforts on more than one occasion and they greatly admired him in their hearts.

Weeks turned into months turned into years in the timeless dream of the Feywild, and Snapdragon’s frustration grew. Of all his comrades among the knights, only Frostnip, his childhood friend, offered him comfort, constantly endeavoring to cheer him up. Yet even her steady companionship began to wear on him, for he could not bear being pitied by her. Finally, in a moment of pique, he declared before the entirety of his grandmother’s court that he would leave for the mortal world, and not return until he had performed some great deed that proved he was worthy. In her heart, Hellebore smiled, for this had been her goal all along, but outwardly she reluctantly granted him leave. Frostnip begged him to take back his words, but Snapdragon’s mind was set, though he finally relented and told her that if she were in danger, he would return without fail.

Emerging into the world of mortals through a Fey portal, Snapdragon wandered to and fro, not quite sure where to begin his adventures. It was then that the Prince of Frost himself, mightiest of the Winter Fey, appeared before him. Like all Winter Fey, the Pixies of the Autumn Wind paid him heed as their strongest ally, the master of all things Winter.

The Prince reminded Snapdragon that as Princess Hellebore’s scion, he was a member of the Prince’s Winter Court, and the Prince had not given him leave. Snapdragon attempted to point out that he didn’t technically need the Prince’s leave since he already had Hellebore’s, but was silenced by the Prince’s power. In exchange for overlooking this slight against him, the Prince of Frost asked that Snapdragon accompany a certain caravan seeking to establish a new city as the Prince’s agent. When Snapdragon asked why exactly the Prince was interested in this caravan, he was again silenced, and told the Prince would give additional instructions when the time was right. The Prince then vanished once more.

Picking himself up and dusting himself off, Snapdragon headed in the direction the Prince had indicated, muttering under his breath about certain uppity archfey all the while…